Come Back To Me II
by PickaPicChallenge
Summary: Six years is a long time to hold out hope for someone who's gone. When life keeps trying to pull Detective Cullen into the present, the past keeps calling him back.


**Pick a Pic Challenge**

**Title:** Come Back to Me

**Banner #:** 73

**Pairing:** Edward

**Genre:** Family/Drama

**Rating/Disclaimer:** M for language

**Summary:** Six years is a long time to hold out hope for someone who's gone. When life keeps trying to pull Detective Cullen into the present, the past keeps calling him back.

**************To see all entries for this contest, please visit (****pickapic).(twificpics).com**

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***Come Back to Me***

Six years.

2,255 days.

A glance at the calendar on the wall, as the sun drifts dull-colored light across the cluttered desk, reminds me that one more day will soon be added to that total.

With a sigh, I push back from the desk, my chair squeaking with effort as I try to get a little distance from the colorful scene of rolling green fields that sits above numbered boxes.

Each empty space is another day, a stark marker that doesn't need to remind me of what I already know.

You're still gone.

"Yo, Eddie," a thick, accented voice calls out behind me, "Day's over, buddy. Time to head home."

I spin and face him, his once-crisp shirt wrinkled and worn from the day visibly taking its toll. Garrett's a big guy, tall and a little thick in the middle with light hair and dark eyes. He looks tough as nails, and sure as shit can be when the time calls for it. For the most part, he's an alright guy.

He's been my partner for the last eight months, and though he's a hell of a lot better than the last jackass they had me working with, I still don't want to be stuck with him.

Not that Lieutenant Peters cares; he thinks I'm likely to get myself into trouble if left to my own devices.

Fucker's probably right.

It would definitely allow me the time and resources to look for you, if I was left alone.

"Nah, I've a got a little more paperwork to finish up, man," I tell Garrett, waving dismissively at him. "But you go home to your girl. Katie's still doing good?"

Garrett smiles, a happy light in his eyes as he talks about his wife. "Yeah, getting big as a house, but doing well. Just a few months left."

Smiling, I nod and wish him a good night before I turn back to my previous thoughts.

You.

I push a few files around on my desk until the coast is clear. Most of the other guys are ducking out for the night as the next shift crew filters in, and too busy readying themselves for the night beat to pay attention to me.

Reaching into the bottom drawer of my desk, I pull out the faded blue file, tattered and torn at the edges, watermarked and coffee-stained from too much wear.

I've probably looked at this file over a hundred thousand times, looking for something that's been missed.

Pages and pages of evidence, reports, statements, and possible leads are stapled in alongside grainy pictures of an empty apartment and possible clues that have faded with time.

A somewhat pristine picture of you is clipped onto the front, and I can't help but stare for a moment. You're looking off somewhere to the right, your eyes intense and slightly troubled, but I'm not sure why.

It was a recent photo when it was added to the file, only taken a few weeks prior before one of your games. Mom didn't care that you were a grown man, playing a club sport, she treated you like you were still the college rugby star, documenting each game like the proud mother hen she was.

I would give anything to have her take more pictures like this again, knowing the joy it brought to her and the pain it creates now that she can't.

I push those thoughts aside, along with your picture, and look over the rest of the documents carefully, trying to read in between the lines andsee that piece that's been eluding me for the past four years.

I've read these so many times, I can recite them by heart, but I look anyway.

Hoping something new is there.

After another hour has passed, I'm almost to the end of the file, and still nothing new.

The trail is just as cold and dead as it has been every time.

"Damn it," I grumble, fisting my hair in one hand and closing my eyes.

Why the hell can't I find something? I know there has to be something here, some clue that tells me what the hell happened.

Something that explains why you're gone.

"Edward, you're still here?" a soft and silky voice says near me. My eyes open, seeking the source and finding her almost immediately as she crosses the room, coming closer with each step.

She's dressed for the streets, her uniform hugging all the luscious curves of her body and tempting me like nothing I've ever known. Trim hips and thighs, flat stomach and tits that beg for my touch all leading up to a face that I'd swear belonged to an angel.

Her hair is pulled back in the regulation ponytail under her cap, dark and thick that frames her pretty face when it's worn down, long enough to skim her nipples. She's got full lips and long lashes around hazel eyes that pull me in every time I look into them.

If I could, I'd get lost in her at every possible opportunity.

I can't though, not until I find you.

But damn, if she doesn't make me want to give up the search and accept what everyone else already has.

"Bella," I reply in a low, rough voice. I try to clear the lust from my throat, but I'm not sure I succeed. "Hey. I'm just finishing up a few last minute reports."

She looks at me, her lips pursing and eyes narrowing. She may come off as an angel, but she is much harder than her feminine exterior suggests. It's part of what makes her a great cop, one that I admire.

"Now why don't I believe you, Detective Cullen?" Bella asks, with a tilt of her head, hand on her hip and a half-playful, half-serious smile.

"Officer Swan, I would never lie to you," I say, holding up a hand like the boy scout I used to be.

Bella snorts, and though it's completely unladylike, I can't help but find it appealing. Any other woman and I wouldn't, but with her…

"Whatever you say, Edward." Bella laughs and shakes her head at me, not believing my lie for a minute.

She's a smart one.

"So, you going out to the Lieutenants' this weekend? I hear he's going to have horseshoes again this year."

Lieutenant Peters' annual end-of-summer bash has always been a pretty relaxed event, a great opportunity to get to know some of the others guys on the force. Bonding over beers, summer sun and steaks with each other's families is nice, but I don't really feel like I belong.

Bella was there last year, her first time, since she was new to our department. She did a great job of keeping me interested in the party for a time, with her shapely legs and little blue sun dress blowing in the hot summer breeze, but even all her beauty wasn't enough.

I'm always half in the present, half in the past at that party since it always seems to be given around your birthday. I refuse to subject my shitty mood on all those who are trying to have a good time, so I rarely go. And when I do, I don't stay long.

Seeing happy families has a way of making you miss your own.

Fuck, do I miss you.

Bella clears her throat, pulling me back to the present. I can see a hopeful glimmer in her eyes, that spark of heat that always seems to burn when I'm around her catching fire, but I just don't know if it's a smart thing to do.

Bella must see the hesitation on my face because she's quick to persuade me. "I promise you'll have fun, Edward."

"You promise, huh?" I ask, giving her a smirk. I can't help but flirt with her, even if I know I shouldn't. She was just too fucking sexy for herown good.

"Yes, I promise," Bella says, stepping closer and leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I'm really good at horseshoes. I've perfected my hand technique a lot over the last year."

A shiver runs down my spine from her husky voice and warm breath fanning my neck.

Fuck me, she is good.

I clear my throat, willing my body to remain under control. "That sounds like something I'd want to see."

"Definitely," Bella agrees, pulling back to face me again. Her hand finds purchase on my arm, delicate fingers lightly skimming the skin of my forearms where I've pushed my sleeves up. We hold gazes for a moment, words unspoken but not unknown passing between us.

It would be easy to start something with her, to light the match between us, but I know it wouldn't be fair.

We could be great together, but in the end, I'd just end up burning her.

Looking for you.

And because I care for Bella, I won't do that to her. I won't make her deal with my shit.

No one should have to, other than me.

With a rueful smile, I break our connection, squeezing her fingers with mine in regret. "I'd like to but…"

Bella's expression falls, her eyes downcast for a moment. She sighs lightly, knowing the end of my sentence without me having to finish it.

Everyone knows why I can't be carefree and easy anymore.

Everyone knows about you.

They don't understand why I'm so adamant that you're still out there, why I can't let you go after all this time. But how am I supposed to do that? You were more than just my big brother, you were my best friend.

You pushed me to follow my dreams, to never give up, no matter what.

And I can't give up on you now, not when you need me the most.

Still, it doesn't make things easy, trying to right the past while the rest of the world keeps moving on, pushing me forward along with it.

"Okay, well," Bella says, melancholy in her voice. "If you change your mind, you have my number. Use it," she tells me, with a soft, understanding smile.

"Thanks Bella," I reply.

Bella starts to say something else, but thinks better of it, shaking her head dismissively. "I gotta get out there," she says, thumbing over her shoulder to the door leading out to the squad cars.

"Where you at tonight?"

"Lexington and 5th."

"Tough beat."

"Nothing I can't handle," she tells me with confidence, standing to the full height of her small frame.

"I'm sure you can, but still," I say, "Be safe."

"Always am." With a nod and a small wave, Bella turns to leave, and I watch her go, my eyes following her shape and wishing things were different.

She could so easily be my future, if things were different.

If I didn't need to find you.

If you would just come back to me, to our family. To your once-happy life.

Once Bella's out of sight, I turn back to the file and exhale, trying to let go of all the emotions that have invaded my thoughts since she walked over.

God, what I would do with that woman if only I had her.

If only I could have her.

What I wouldn't give…

My mind freezes, caught on my last thought.

What I wouldn't give if I could have Bella. A man desperate for a woman would give anything, do anything to make her his.

Commit crimes, cheat, steal and even… disappear without a trace.

"Fuck," I mutter, my hands shaking as I frantically start flipping back through the pages of the file, looking for the one I know is buried in here somewhere.

Finding it, torn from the staples in the corner and folded in half in the back of the folder, I quickly straighten it out and read over the statement.

**Esme Anne Platt-Everson, 32 year-old female**

**Statement given on July 11th to Officer M. Newton**

"**I last saw Carlisle Cullen over the holiday weekend, when he came by my family's bar-b-que. He and my husband had met through the Rugby club, and though they weren't close, Carlisle was a friend. He seemed normal, happy and friendly as always. He stayed for a couple of hours before heading to another party. I remember he made a point of saying goodbye, but it didn't seem suspicious to me. Carlisle was always making sure I knew his comings and goings, but I figured that was because of his job more than anything else."**

Reading things at face value, the statement didn't mean much, and I'm sure that's what the officers in charge of the case thought. They were checking out everyone that was at that party, since it was the last place you were seen at, and Esme Platt didn't ring any bells for anyone.

But now, I had a sneaking suspicion about her. I need a fucking smoke, so I grab my half-full pack and go outside to light up, hoping the pieces of this puzzle will shift into place while I'm out here killing myself slowly with another cancer stick.

Or so says my mother, but whatever.

I need stress relief, and since sex isn't an option at the moment, this will do.

I take a few puffs, blowing out the smoke as I think over the statement I just read. I wonder where Esme is now, since there was a note on her statement indicating she was asked to do a follow-up, but never showed. Since she wasn't a person of interest, Officer Newton didn't pressure her, but I'm wondering now if that was a mistake.

Especially since this little theory is worming its way deeper and deeper inside until it's the only thing I can focus on.

Would you have done something for this woman? You cared enough to tell her your whereabouts, showed up to a personal family function just before you disappeared to see her. Was there more there than just friendship?

A faded memory of the two of us grocery shopping floats to the forefront of my mind, words that I never gave credence to before now weighing heavily.

_We're picking out chips, fighting over dips when a woman's voice breaks into our brotherly spat._

"_Carlisle?"_

"_Esme, hi. How are you?" Carlisle asked, a smile I'd never seen lighting up his face. I tried my best to keep my laugh inside._

_He was so clearly in it with this woman. I was going to give him shit about it as soon as she was gone._

"_I'm good, you?"_

"_Good, good. Can't complain."_

"_How's Charles?"Carlisle asks after a tense pause falls between them._

"_Oh, um, he's fine. Just recovering from the last match. You guys really did a number on him," Esme laughed, a blush on her cheeks that Carlisle seemed to eat up._

"_Well, I can't promise we won't do the same next time. Nature of the game, you know?"_

"_Yes, I do," she replied, rubbing the top of her shoulder uncomfortably. "Well, um, it was good seeing you again."_

"_Yeah, you too. Take care, Esme."_

"_You too, Carlisle. I... I hope I'll see you again," she said, before flushing a deeper red. "At a game, I mean."_

"_Right, yeah. Me too. Bye, Esme."_

_Once she's out of sight, I turn and push Carlisle hard on the shoulder. "Dude, you are SO into that chick!"_

"_Fuck off, Eddie. She's a friend."_

"_Whatever you say, Carl. I saw the way you were looking at her," I tease._

"_Not happening, Eddie. She's a friend. And engaged."_

_I shrugged. "Okay, sure. But engaged isn't married."_

"_Let's just get some beer, and get the hell out of here. I don't want someone to mistake us for a couple or some shit," he laughed._

"_Oh, but honey," I teased, slipping my arm around his as he pushed the cart. "Are you ashamed of me?"_

_Carlisle laughed, shaking me off and turning to head over to the beer case. I followed after him, laughing at his red tipped ears._

"_Edward, you ever think you'll fall in love?"Carlisle asked out of nowhere, taking me off guard as I looked over the drink options in the case._

"_What? Hell no! Women fall in love with me, I don't fall in love back," I retorted with a cocky laugh, grabbing a case of Heineken from the cooler and tossing it into the grocery cart._

"_You think that now, kid, but just wait," Carlisle said, shaking his head wryly, a smirk on his face as we went down the aisle. "Some girl is going to come around and knock you right on your ass. You'll do whatever she wants then."_

"_Psssh, if you say so, bro."_

I have to wonder now, if maybe something more was going on below the surface that day than I knew. You were never one to talk about your personal life, but I'd heard you mention Esme once or twice after that.

And now, having a woman like Bella in my life- someone I wanted but knew I couldn't have- made me wonder if maybe Esme was that woman for you.

I couldn't believe I didn't think of this connection before.

I could feel the rightness of this path deep in my bones. I inhaled another deep breath, pulling the smoke into my lungs and relishing the burn before releasing it back into the cool night air.

Extinguishing the butt in the ashtray nearby, I dropped it in the trash and pulled out my keys. I finally had a clue; a lead to follow that might be a break in this cold case.

Esme Everson was the key to finding you.

Now, I just had to find her.

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**a/n:** Thanks so much for reading! Mind sharing what you thought in a review? I'd love to hear from you, and promise to reply once the contest is over.

Many thanks and much love for my beta who did a wonderful and super fast editing job for me. You rock lady!


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